Fabergé – A Life of Its Own (2014)

If you think of one thing when you hear the name Fabergé, it’s eggs. They were made by Peter Carl Fabergé and his many expert jewellers from 1885 till 1917. It’s estimated that about 50 were made, of which 43 are still in existence and a couple of them are hoped to be discovered. The thing which makes these objects so special isn’t only the fact that they are made of expensive metals and precious stones, but also something a collector of them calls “the closest thing which comes to human perfection”. The eggs are extremely detailed and some of them contain surprises. This movie doesn’t only show his famous product, but also the circumstances in which the company became successful.

Fabergé had a close bond with the family which ruled Russia. They lived in luxury and jewellery was part of that. Every year at Easter Fabergé would produce a special egg which was given as a gift. It wasn’t the only thing he made though. His company made thousands of special jewellery, miniatures of animals and beautiful plants, made from jewels. Because his name was tied with the tsar, who was removed from power during the revolution he wasn’t able to keep running his business and had to close it down. Many of his products which previously were owned by the tsar family were now being sold for low prices and the result was that it all spread around the world. The market for his art though has been growing and the demand has made prices skyrocket. The eggs for example are sold for tens of millions of dollars.

This documentary clearly shows the beauty and precision of his work by showing them in closeups. A voiceover tells about the history of the tsars and Fabergé, but also how the name eventually lost its glamour when various kinds of products started using the name. The rights to that name went to several companies, but in 2007 all of them were bought by one firm who made plans to make jewellery again and new eggs.

It’s all very interesting information, but the presentation of it sometimes can be a bit boring. As a viewer you quickly get how beautiful his work was, but the story about it simply misses an arc. I would have liked to see some critical opinions about the new Fabergé or interviews with jeweller who talk about the process of making a complicated piece, but that’s all missing. The movie ends with two “exclusive” moments in which a newly discovered egg is presented (thought to be sold to be melted) and the new egg made by the new company. But after seeing so many closeups all through the film those moments simply feels normal. For fans of Fabergé there is enough interesting information, but if you don’t have strong feelings about the brand you might get a bit bored.